Words to Live By the Delphic Maxims Modernized
Words to live by act as internal discriminative stimuli giving us guidance when faced with choosing behavior and weighing the rewards.
Here are the Delphic Maxims updated for a modern era. As I give more thought to these words of wisdom, they will no doubt evolve as each one is examined more closely.
- Strive to know God
- Obey the law
- Do not exert resources and effort to harm others for pleasure
- Respect your parents
- Be overcome by righteousness in the eyes of God while practicing Christian Values
- Know what you have learned
- Perceive what you have heard
- Know thyself
- Know your opportunity
- Think as a mortal
- Honor home, hearth, and domesticity
- Control yourself
- Help your friends
- Control anger
- Exercise prudence
- Honor providence
- Do not use an oath
- Love friendship
- Cling to discipline
- Pursue honor
- Long for wisdom
- Praise the good
- Find fault with no one
- Praise virtue
- Practice what is just
- Be kind to your friends
- Watch out for your enemies
- Exercise nobility of character
- Shun evil
- Be impartial
- Guard what is yours
- Shun what belongs to others
- Listen to everyone
- Do a favor for a friend
- Nothing to excess
- Use time wisely
- Foresee the future
- Despise insolence
- Have respect for those who make a humble plea when you are in power or have authority.
- Be accommodated in everything
- Educate your children
- Give what you have
- Fear deceit
- Speak well of everyone
- Be a seeker of wisdom
- Choose what is divine
- Act when you know
- Shun murder
- Pray for things possible
- Consult the wise
- Test the character
- Give back what you have received
- Look down on no one
- Use your skill
- Do what you mean to do
- Honor a benefaction (donations and gifts)
- Be jealous of no one
- Be on your guard
- Praise hope
- Despise a slanderer
- Gain possessions justly
- Honor good men
- Know the judge
- Recognize fortune
- Flee a pledge (Give a pledge and trouble is at hand)
- Speak plainly
- Associate with your peers
- Govern your expenses
- Be happy with what you have
- Revere a sense of shame
- Fulfill a favor
- Pray for happiness
- Be fond of fortune
- Observe what you have heard
- Work for what you can own
- Despise strife
- Detest disgrace
- Restrain the tongue
- Keep yourself from insolence
- Make just judgements
- Use what you have
- Judge incorruptibly
- Accuse one who is present
- Tell when you know
- Do not depend on strength
- Live without sorrow
- Live together meekly
- Finish the race without shrinking back
- Deal kindly with everyone
- Do not curse your children
- Benefit yourself
- Be courteous
- Give a timely response
- Struggle with glory
- Act without repenting
- Repent of sins
- Control the eye
- Give a timely counsel
- Act quickly
- Guard friendship
- Be grateful
- Pursue harmony
- Keep deeply the top secret
- Fear ruling
- Pursue what is profitable
- Accept due measure
- Do away with enmities (hostilities towards others)
- Accept old age
- Do not boast in might
- Exercise restraint in forceful or aggressive religious prostolazation
- Flee enmity (hostility)
- Acquire wealth justly
- Do not abandon honor
- Despise evil
- Venture into danger prudently
- Do not tire of learning
- Do not stop to be thrifty
- Admire the transmitters of knowledge
- Love whom you rear
- Do not oppose someone absent
- Respect an elder
- Teach a youngster
- Do not trust wealth
- Respect yourself
- Do not begin to be insolent
- Do not be discontented by life
- Do not make fun of the poor
- Do not make fun of the wealthy
- Share the load of the unfortunate
- Gratify without harming
- Grieve for no one
- Beget from noble routes
- Make promises to no one
- Do not wrong the dead
- Be well off as a mortal
- Do not trust fortune
- As a child be well-behaved
- As a youth—self-disciplined
- As of middle-aged—just
- As an old man—sensible
- On reaching the end—without sorrow